Netflix's "Video Podcast" Gambit Reveals the Streaming Wars' Next Frontier

When Netflix launched The Pete Davidson Show last week, calling it a "video podcast," the streaming giant wasn't just premiering another celebrity chat program. They were testing whether audiences—and regulators—would accept a fundamental redefinition of what constitutes a podcast.

The show features Davidson interviewing guests like Machine Gun Kelly and Charlamagne tha God in a stripped-down garage setting, complete with paint cans serving as makeshift decor. But here's the catch: unlike traditional podcasts, there's no audio feed you can download to your phone. It exists solely on Netflix, in video form only.

The Economics Behind the Label

The "video podcast" designation raises uncomfortable questions about labor practices in the streaming industry. Traditional talk shows require unionized crews, elaborate production staff, and substantial overhead costs. Podcasts, by contrast, can be produced with minimal equipment and crew.

By branding Davidson's show as a podcast, Netflix might be attempting to sidestep the production standards—and associated costs—that come with traditional television programming. It's a classification that could have significant implications for how streaming platforms compensate creators and crews.

The timing isn't coincidental. As streaming services face increasing pressure to reduce content spending while maintaining subscriber growth, finding ways to produce cheaper programming becomes crucial. If a show looks like a talk show but gets classified as a podcast, does that change the economic equation?

The Format Wars

Davidson's effort highlights the ongoing evolution of digital content formats. The original podcast—downloadable audio files for iPods—has already expanded to include live-streamed conversations and bite-sized social media clips. Now Netflix is pushing the boundaries further.

But the execution reveals the challenges of this hybrid approach. Unlike successful podcast hosts like Marc Maron or Amy Poehler, Davidson lacks the interviewing skills to make casual conversation compelling. His chat with Machine Gun Kelly meanders through topics like Japanese toilets and party anecdotes without the structure or curiosity that makes great podcasts work.

Poehler's Good Hang, which won the first-ever Golden Globe for Best Podcast this year, demonstrates how the format should work. She opens episodes by secretly calling guests' friends, creates genuine moments of vulnerability, and maintains enough structure to keep conversations engaging. Davidson's garage sessions, by contrast, feel more like eavesdropping on friends hanging out—which might be authentic, but isn't necessarily entertaining.

The Broader Implications

This format experiment reflects deeper changes in how we consume and categorize entertainment. Social media feeds are flooded with podcast clips hunting for engagement, while traditional radio adopts podcast aesthetics. The lines between mediums are blurring faster than industry definitions can keep up.

Different stakeholders view this trend through vastly different lenses. For Netflix, it's about cost efficiency and content differentiation. For traditional podcasters, it might represent corporate encroachment on their medium. For labor unions, it could signal an attempt to circumvent established protections.

Internationally, the classification question becomes even more complex. What constitutes a podcast versus a talk show varies significantly across different media landscapes and regulatory frameworks.